Serological detection of type-specific IgG to herpes simplex virus by novel ELISAs based on recombinant and highly purified glycoprotein G.

Most commercially available tests for detection of herpes simplex virus-specific antibodies are not able to differentiate reliably between antibodies to the viral types 1 and 2. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate two novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays on the basis of recombinant and highly purified glycoprotein G for determination of herpes simplex virus type-specific antibodies. Procedures approved by the US Food and Drug Administration served as reference. 100% sensitivity was calculated for both the type 1 and the type 2 immunoassay. For the type 1 immunoassay, the specificity was 98.6% and the type 2 immunoassay had a specificity of 99.3%. There was a very good correlation between the results of the reference procedures and the evaluated tests. The novel immunoassays can be recommended for the reliable type-specific diagnosis of latent herpes simplex virus infections.